Home equity loan rates
A home equity loan lets you borrow against your home’s value. To find the best loan for you, compare loan rates with a few lenders before applying.
17 min read
Oct 02, 2024
Linda Bell
Senior writer, Home Lending
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25Years of experience
EXPERTISE
- Home affordability
- First-time homebuying
- Housing market
- Personal finance
EDUCATION
- Bachelor of Arts, Print Journalism and English Literature, New York University
- Continuing education: Certified HELOC Specialist (NAMU)
While you may have your heart set on buying a home, homeownership is not the right choice for everyone. It is important to weigh the pros and cons before making what will likely be the biggest purchase of your life.
— Linda Bell
About the author
Linda Bell is a senior writer on Bankrate's Home Lending team, producing content around HELOCs, financing home renovations, home equity loans and more. Before joining Bankrate in 2024, she spent more than 20 years as a business and personal finance reporter and writer at organizations including Bloomberg, Fox Business and NerdWallet.
During the housing boom and bust of the 2000s, Linda appeared on hundreds of local television and radio stations providing insight on the stock market and housing industry. At NerdWallet, her focus was homeownership and mortgages, including the homebuying process, home affordability and mortgage management.
Linda is deeply committed to advocating for equal homeownership opportunities for everyone. Her investigative radio series “Minorities and the Housing Market” won numerous awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors and the New York Association of Black Journalists.
Linda graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Print Journalism and English Literature.
Linda beyond Bankrate
While you may have your heart set on buying a home, homeownership is not the right choice for everyone. It is important to weigh the pros and cons before making what will likely be the biggest purchase of your life.
— Linda Bell
Linda's latest articles
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Home equity line of credit rates
A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, is a second mortgage that uses your home as collateral to let you borrow up to a certain amount over time, rather than an upfront lump sum.
14 min read Oct 02, 2024 -
Could NAR’s new commission rules hurt Black homebuyers?
Their impact could hit aspiring homeowners of color harder.
6 min read Sep 26, 2024 -
How the Federal Reserve affects HELOCs and home equity loans
If you’re looking at HE loans or have a variable-rate line of credit, pay attention to the Fed.
4 min read Sep 18, 2024 -
The Fed just cut interest rates. Time to tap your home equity?
It just might be. But don’t forget the fundamentals of how home equity loans work.
6 min read Sep 18, 2024 -
Best uses for a home equity line of credit (HELOC)
Certain expenses are tailor-made for tapping your home equity. Others, not so much.
9 min read Sep 12, 2024 -
How to get a home equity loan with bad credit
Yes, you can get financing, even if you’re not the most creditworthy candidate.
10 min read Aug 28, 2024 -
What to know about HELOC prepayment penalties
Yes, you get charged for getting out of debt early. Here’s why.
6 min read Aug 27, 2024